Automatic apparatus for controlling and operating the points of electric railways or tramways.



No. 747,795. PATENTBD DEC.22, 1903. T. B. STEWART, W. .H. TURNER & R. EDDIXON. AUTOMATIC APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING AND OPERATINGTHE POINTS 0F ELECTRIC RAILWAYS OR TRAMWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 1. 1902. N0 MODEL.

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' 'UNITED S ATEs Patented December 22, 1903.

PATENT O FICE.

THOMAS BELL STEWART, WILLIAM HERBERT TURNER, AND ROWLAND? EDWARD DIXON, 0E LEEDs, ENGLAND.

AUTOMATIC APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING AND OPERATING THE POINTS OF ELECTRIC RAILWAYS OR TRAMWAYS.

' SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 747,795, dated December 22, 1903.

Application filed April 1, 1902. Serial No. lOO,952- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, THOMAS BELL STEW- ART, WILLIAMHERBERT TURNER, and Row- LA D EDWARD DIXON, su Iojects of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Leeds, in the county ofYork,England, haveinvented a new and useful Automatic Apparatus for Controlling and Operating the Points of Electric Railways or Tram ways, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to overhead-cable electric railways and tramways, the object be ing to provide an improved apparatus for automatically controlling and operating the points of such electric railways and tramways. The points are operated automatically by means of an electromagnetic solenoid, which is suitably situated beside or near the rail and is controlled from the car by means of an overhead apparatus actuated by the trolley. The solenoid is provided with suitable mechanical connections to the rail-point and to the overhead point or frog, these connections being so arranged that they may be operated by hand when required independent of the electrical apparatus;

Our invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan showing position of apparatus. Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing method of controlling same from the car. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of solenoid and its connections for operating the points. Fig. 4 is a detail plan View of the frog a, showing the connection of the wire i with the overhead point. Fig. 5 is a detail end view of the switch n.

Similar letters and numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The core a, of thesolenoid bis connected to the rail-point cby means 'of rod d or other connection and is also connected to the over head point or frog e by means of hand-lever)", pivot 14, pin 15, rod g, lever h, and wire These connections may be operated by hand when required by means of the hand-leverf independent of the electrical apparatus.

The solenoid b is controlled from the car by means of a switch or switches 70 and is operated (when one of the switches in is on) by the trolley-head of the car making contact with overhead switches carried by the trolley wires or cables. One of these overhead switches Z isv arranged on-the main ca'ble m in front of the'frog or pointe and the other overhead switch n on the branch cable 0 behind the frog or point 6. Thus when a main-line car comes'along the car-switches k are both oflj,

and the car consequently passes alongthe main line Without interfering with the points in any way. 'When a branch-line car comes along, the car-switch 7c is put on before arriving at the first overhead switch I. 0n reaching the said overhead switchl the trolleyhead makes contact, and the rail-point c and overhead point e are automatically turned, so as to connect with the branch line, the points being automatically reversed when the car passes into the branch line, and the trolley-head makes contact with the second overhead switch it.

The switches Z and n are both alike, and the description will therefore be confined to the switch n. The switch n has arms 20, which are pivoted to a block of insulating material w. The trolley-head has insulated contact-plates '1), which move the arms w apart and place them in contact with the switch-block n, with which the wire 5 is connected. The trolley-Wheel 4) runs on the cable m and is normally insulated from the contact-plates '0, the connection between them being effected by means of the wires 2 and the switch It on the car When the lower ends of the wires 2 are connected by closing the switch It, the current passes from the ca- 7 closed, the whole being preferably inclosed within the box 13. The contact-plates of the switch 12, which are secured to the switchboard 3, are separated by insulating material 50, so that the switch-lever bridges them when the switch is closed.

The action of the apparatus is as follows:

A main-line car having its switches it both off passes along the main line Without interfering with the points in any Way. When a branch-line car comes along,the driverputs on his car-switch it, so that when the trolley-head makes contact with the first overhead switch Z a current passes through the lead-wire 4, exciting the magnet S and closing the switch 12, the current then passing from the magnet 8 to earth through the wire E. This allows a second current to from the lead-Wire 10 through the fuse 11, switch 12, wire I), and solenoid Z) to earth. This current excites the solenoid b, which draws in the core a and actuates the rail-point c, at the same time by means of the wire 7 and its connections actuating the overhead point or frog 6. When the trolley-head makes contact with the second overhead switch n, a third current passes through the lead-wire 5, exciting the magnet 9 and opening the switch 12, this current also passing from the magnet 9 to earth by the wire E. This breaks the main circuit through the lead-wire 10 and allows the core a to be drawn out again by means of a suitable spring, weight, or other convenient device, thus automatically reversing the railpoint e, which permits the overhead point e to be automatically reversed by means of a suitable spring, such as 16, in the ordinary manner.

We do not claim the specific construction of any of the switches, as they, including all the switch mechanism on the switchboard 3,'

vhaving an overhead switch end, and an overhead point e at the junction of the said conductors, a solenoid b and connections for operating the points 0 and e, electromagnets 8 and 9, a switch 12 operated by the said electromagnets, connections between the switches land at and the eleciromagnets 8 and 9 respectively, a connection between the point eand the said solenoid through the said switch 12, and a switch 7.; on the car for controlling the circuit.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS BELL STEWART. WILLIAM HERBERT TURNER. ROW'LAND EDWARD DIXON.

Witnesses:

THOMAS NETTLETON, WILLIAM HERBERT ISHERWOOD. 

